Overview
- Brief Narrative
- A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Simon Jeruchim
- Contributor
-
Subject:
Simon Jeruchim
- Biography
-
Simon Jeruchim was born on December 25, 1929, in Paris, France, to Samuel and Alice Szpiro Jeruchim. Samuel was born on December 24, 1898, in Ostrow, Poland, and Sonia, on August 18, 1899, in Garwolin, Poland. They left Poland because of antisemitism. He had two siblings, Alice, born on February 18, 1928, and Michel, on April 4, 1937, both in Paris. The family lived in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris, and Samuel worked as a watchmaker in Paris. They were not religious and Simon did not know he was Jewish. When World War II started on September 1, 1939, the family was vacationing in Richebourg in Normandy. Simon and Alice stayed there and to attend school; Michel returned to Montreuil with their parents. Samuel returned on December 24, 1939, and brought Simon and Alice home.
Germany invaded France in May 1940. School aged children, including Simon and Alice, were evacuated to the south of Paris. Samuel arrived shortly after to collect the children and go further south to St. Savinien, where Sonia and Michel were to meet them. After 2 months, Sonia and Michel had not arrived; they had returned to Paris and Samuel and the children followed. In November 1940, the family was ordered to report and register for identification cards stamped Juif [Jew] in red that all Jews were required to carry. Jews, primarily foreign born, were being rounded up and put in internment camps. Food was scarce and Simon was sent to Richebourg to obtain provisions. By the end of 1941, Simon had to wear a yellow star and, for the first time, became aware of his Jewish identity.
On July 14, 1942, during a visit from friends with a young son, Joseph, they heard a rumor that all Parisian Jews were to be arrested. Both families hid with the Jeruchim’s gentile cleaning woman. On July 16-17, the mass arrests of the Vel d’Hiv roundup occurred. Samuel and Sonia arranged for the children, including Joseph, to go into hiding. They were sent to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bonneau, members of the underground who placed the boys with a man named Ernst and Alice was sent to live with Madame Ledauphin.
Ernst slaughtered steers and sold the meat on the black market. Simon acted as a lookout during the slaughtering. Ernst did not want to care for 5 year old Michel and sent him to live with the LeClere family. Their farm was close and Simon visited every few weeks. Simon was afraid of Ernst and thought that he was dealing with the Germans. After 3 months, he wrote to the Bonneaus’ and asked to be moved. Their daughter Madeleine came to bring Simon home. The Bonneaus were angry that Simon contacted them and endangered their operation, but they found him another home. Mrs. Mounier, a Bonneau family friend, took Simon to live with Mrs. Huard in Savigny le Vieux. It was 3 miles from where Alice lived and Simon visited her. Simon worked as a farmhand and slept in the barn, but convinced Mrs. Huard to let him sleep in the house. He had inadequate clothing and was barely tolerated. Mrs. Huard was very religious and Simon pretended to be Catholic, attending Sunday mass and mumbling nightly prayers. He borrowed a prayer book and learned the prayers while tending to the cows. In April 1943, Mrs. Mounier visited Simon and told him his parents had been arrested in 1942 in Poitiers and sent to Drancy internment camp.
Simon wrote the Bonneaus’ and asked to be moved. Mrs. Mounier retrieved Simon and brought him to the home of Madame Prim, her daughter, and Annette and Maurice, siblings that Simon suspected were Jewish, as they did not know their Catholic prayers. One day, Mme. Prim was unable to attend a school meeting for Maurice and sent Simon. A teacher, Mr. Crochet, offered to lend him some library books. Simon identified a painting in the library and told the teacher he wanted to start drawing again. Mr. Crochet gave him a sketch pad and watercolors. Mme. Prim and her charges relocated to a larger house in La Renouardiere. Simon found drawing supplies and drew his surroundings. He heard news about the Allied advance on the secret radio of the neighbors, the Geslins. Simon developed a severe skin infection and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. When he returned, Allied forces were bombing the nearby town and they hid in the attic.
Savigny-le-Vieux was liberated on August 6, 1944. Simon was in the yard picking dandelions for the rabbits when he saw American soldiers. The Geslins welcomed the soldiers with fresh well water and a toast, “A nos amis Americains” [To our American friends]. A few days later, Simon rode Alice’s bike to Paris. He slept in barns and depended on farmers for food on his 2 week journey. He returned to the Bonneau’s and stayed for a year. He asked what happened to his parents; they told him that his parents had tried to flee, with Joseph's parents, but were arrested and deported. Simon continued to hide his Jewish heritage. The German forces in Paris surrendered on August 24. Simon joined a Protestant Boy Scout troop, and finished high school. Alice soon joined him.
The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945. Simon’s parents never returned; eventually the family learned that Samuel and Sonia had been deported to Auschwitz on September 11, 1942, and murdered. The children’s maternal uncle, David Szpiro, became their guardian. They moved in with him and his wife, Berthe, and son, Raoul. When Michel returned from the LeClere house, he did not recognize Simon and referred to him as Monsieur. Due to a lack of space and money, the siblings were sent to a Jewish orphanage in Cailly-sur-Eure. The children lived in several orphanages; in each, Simon decorated the walls with Hebrew songs and murals. Simon learned about his religion and was one of the first French Jews to be Bar Mitzvahed after the war. In 1946, Simon received a scholarship to study commercial art at the School of Applied Arts in Paris. That spring, he created a comic book, Jambo, for Michel’s birthday.
David arranged for the children to emigrate to the United States, to live with their maternal grandmother, Tessie, and her son, Sam. They arrived in New York in 1949. Simon served in the Korean War. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and became a package designer, book illustrator, and author. He married Cecile Rojer, who survived as a hidden child in Belgium then lived in a children’s home postwar until emigrating to the US in 1948. The couple married on November 6, 1955, and had 2 daughters. Simon wrote a book about his experiences in 2001: Hidden in France : a boy's journey under the Nazi occupation.
Physical Details
- Classification
-
Exchange Media
- Category
-
Money
- Object Type
-
Coins (lcsh)
- Genre/Form
- Money.
- Materials
- overall : metal
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- No restrictions on access
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- Hidden children (Holocaust)--France--Biography. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--France--Personal narratives, Jewish. Jewish children in the Holocaust--France--Biography. Jewish families--France--Biography. World War, 1939-1945--Jews--Rescue--France--Personal narratives.
- Geographic Name
- Paris (France)
Administrative Notes
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The coin was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2001 by Simon Jeruchim.
- Record last modified:
- 2024-01-29 12:55:16
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn545991
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Also in Simon Jeruchim collection
The collection consists of artifacts, drawings, documents, and photographs relating to the experiences of Simon Jeruchim and his family in France during and after World War II, when he lived as a hidden child in Normandy and then in foster homes near Paris.
Date: 1910-1947
Brown leather coin purse with gold monogram used by Simon Jeruchim
Object
Coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. His initials SJ are painted on the front. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Watercolor of a flying passenger bus created by Simon Jeruchim in hiding
Object
Small watercolor done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. It depicts a bus with airplane wings and several passengers. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when 1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Simon Jeruchim papers
Document
The Simon Jeruchim papers include postwar correspondence among Simon and his siblings; Jeruchim family photographs including 20 photographs that Simon Jeruchim used in his January 2004 "First Person" interview at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Jeruchim’s 4-page 1949 immigration journal in French titled “Histoire d’un voyage qui commence à la gare de Lyon"; and his 58-page typed memoir with computer illustrations entitled “Hidden: The Jeruchim Family Saga in France and Under the Nazi Occupation” in English describing his family’s pre-war life in France, the rise of Nazi power in France, his parents’ arrest and subsequent deportation to Auschwitz where they perished, his and his siblings survival in separate hiding places in Normandy, their reunification after the war, and their immigration to the United States.
Autobiographical 2-sided colored drawing of a house and a nun created by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Small double-sided drawing done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. On one side is an image of a home where he hid in the attic with three windows as shown in La Renouardiere; on the other, a nun Simon interacted with often in a local hospital. She stands in front of the home the Souers de Charlie home. Simon was fascinated by the stained glassed windows and gilded statues in the Catholic churches and would sneak inside to sketch. (See 2001.328.5) Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Two-sided colored drawings of a young boy, a river, and animals created by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Small double-sided watercolor drawings done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher gave him a painting kit in 1943. There are 2 scenes on each side: on the front are imaginary scenes: on top, four wild animals; below, robbers at night pursued by a police car; on the reverse is a portrait of another hidden child from Paris; the adjacent image is a view of a winding river near the village. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Small watercolor of a woman with a halo created by Simon Jeruchim in hiding
Object
Small watercolor done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. It depicts the Virgin Mary, a woman with a halo wearing a blue cloak standing under a golden arch with floral garlands. It is based upon a statue in a home in which Simon was hidden. But Simon was fascinated by the stained glassed windows and gilded statues in the Catholic churches and would sneak inside to sketch. (See 2001.328.3) Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Watercolor of two rooms painted by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Small watercolor by Simon Jeruchim done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher gave him a painting kit in 1943. The work depicts 2 views of the interior of one of the homes where he was hidden. Simon shared the sleeping area pictured on the top with Madame Prim; he slept on the right, she on the left. Madame was arthritic and needed the chair to get in and out of bed. There were dirt floors, no electricity, and they used slate tiles on the floor near the fireplace for cooking. There were pictures of saints on the mantel and near the fireplace. The bottom image depicts the other side of the room which had beds for the two younger children also hiding in the home. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, lived near Paris until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when 1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then asked the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and did farmwork, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to the Bonneaus' in Paris; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
2-sided watercolor of an imagined village bombing created by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Small double-sided watercolor done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. Simon had heard of the Allied invasion and the aerial bombing of the coastal towns on a shortwave radio. The front image depicts his imagined view of the bombing of Savigny-le-Vieux; on the reverse is a sketch of a British fighter plane copied from a magazine left behind by the American GIs. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when 1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Two-sided watercolor of country road and orchard created by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Double-sided drawing done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. The front depicts a road leading to La Renouardiere near Madame Prim's home where Simon lived in hiding. The well where they fetched water is on the right. On the reverse is a rough sketch of 2 uniformed men. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when 1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Two-sided drawing with 3 images: a restaurant, Boy Scouts, and a farmer by Simon Jeruchim while in hiding
Object
Small double-sided drawing done by Simon Jeruchim while a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. He began painting after a schoolteacher, Mr. Crochet, gave him a painting kit in 1943. Three scenes are depicted. The front has two drawings: at the top is the first still life that Simon ever drew. It is a close-up of a fruit bowl with a cafe scene in the background; below this is an imagined camp scene with Boy Scouts. Simon had long wanted to be a Boy Scout and joined a troop in Paris after liberation. On the reverse is an image of the neighboring farmer cutting wheat. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when 1000s of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel emigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.
Coin stored in a personalized, leather coin purse by Simon Jeruchim
Object
A coin stored in a personalized coin pouch used by Simon Jeruchim, a hidden child in Normandy, France, from 1942 to 1945. The coin is one of 30 copper and silver alloy coins, some corroded, from France and Britain dated from 1910 to the 1940s. Germany occupied France in June 1940. Simon, age 11, his parents, Samuel and Sonia, and his siblings, Alice, age 14, and Michel, age 5, remained in the Paris suburbs until summer 1942. In July, Sonia heard of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, when thousands of Jews were arrested. The family hid with their gentile housekeeper and then arranged for the Bonneaus, members of the underground, to hide the children in Normandy. Simon often posed as a Catholic and worked as a farmhand, moving often. After the area was liberated on August 6, 1944, Simon returned to Paris and lived with the Bonneaus; his siblings returned after the war ended in May 1945. Their parents had been deported in fall 1942 to Auschwitz and murdered. Simon, Alice, and Michel immigrated to the United States in 1949.